Residents are being asked to suggest uses for more than 70 sites in the Keighley area which have been identified by Bradford Council officers for new development.

The locations have been earmarked as part of a Council vacant urban land survey, which has pinpointed 260 plots throughout the Bradford area.

Now people are being urged to scrutinise the map which identifies local sites and make their feelings known to officers before the end of March.

A total of 74 previously developed urban sites - known as brown field sites - have been identified in the Keighley area with the Worth Valley and Keighley north, which takes in Riddlesden, East Morton and Long Lee, having the most with 20 each.

Officers have identified 14 sites in Keighley west, the Utley, Beechcliffe and Braithwaite area; another 13 in Craven, which covers Silsden and Steeton area; and seven in Keighley south - Bracken Bank and Woodhouse.

Keighley area co-ordinator, Patrick Lawton, said the issue would be raised at all the neighbourhood forum meetings in the Keighley area to encourage people to take part in the consultation.

"We want to hear what people think should happen to the land so more effective use can be made of it and also to find any other sites that are missing from the survey," he said.

"The idea is to increase the re-use of previously developed urban sites - brown field sites - for business, community buildings, housing or public open space."

A questionnaire has been published for members of the public to complete and the map showing the locations can be seen at the information centre in Keighley and other locations.

Councillor Latif Darr, chairman Transportation, Planning and Design, said: "We want to encourage developers to use brown field sites instead of looking at green field sites and this consultation process will help identify all the undeveloped land in urban areas for future use."

David McKay, of Haworth Combined Residents' Action group, called on residents to respond.

"It is very important that we identify brown field sites that are vacant and to say what uses they can be put to. If nobody picks them out then a developer can come along and we will have lost our opportunity to influence what happens," he said.

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